Introduction

This chapter reviews developments in childcare and family-friendly employment policies. Policy discourses distinguish between parental, informal and formal childcare; different types of formal services and different sectors (ie private or statutory provision). Chapter Four considered how childcare policies in the UK prior to 1997 were shaped by the division between ‘care’ and ‘education’, and state provision was restricted to families in need (Randall, 2000). Local childcare services, however, varied somewhat, as local authorities (LAs) have much say over local services and because education, health and social services are devolved areas of policy. ‘Family-friendly employment’ relates to employment rights, policies and practices targeted at parents, carers and families with children. The British Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS) collects data on the following measures: maternity leave and pay, paternity leave and pay, parental leave, job sharing, flexible working hours, home working, support for carers, time off for emergencies and childcare provision. The focus of this chapter is national familyfriendly employment policies and changes in statutory rights and entitlements. The broader term of ‘work–life balance’ policies is often used interchangeably with family-friendly employment, and encompasses a broader perspective about work–life balance entitlements (potentially for all citizens). For the purposes of this chapter, however, the focus is changes to parental rights. In contrast to childcare policy, employment is not a devolved area of policy, placing constraints on alternative policy directions in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Chapter Three highlighted the radical departures in policy since 1997. This chapter details the priority given to childcare, early education and family-friendly employment reforms under Labour. These issues were central to Labour's macroeconomic policies (to raise productivity via full employment and investing in human capital) and became increasingly important to Labour's social policy objectives: ‘investing in children’, reducing and preventing social exclusion and reducing ‘anti-social behaviour’. Between 1997 and 2010, the state took on new responsibilities for childcare provision and pre-school education. Parents gained rights to access childcare to enable them to take up paid work and training. Parental employment rights to maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave and pay were strengthened. Working parents gained new rights to request flexible working options.